Broiled Mackerel
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Split the mackerel down the back.
Sprinkle the mackerel with a little coarse sea salt.
Let the salted mackerel sit overnight.
In the morning, wash off the salt from the mackerel.
Wipe the mackerel dry.
Broil and serve
Broil the mackerel over a quick fire, starting with the skin side down.
Spread butter over the mackerel.
Serve the mackerel hot.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Mackerel
- The main protein; its oily flesh stays moist and rich under high heat.
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws out moisture and seasons the fish during the overnight rest.
- Butter
- Adds fat and richness, softening the flavour of the broiled fish.
The step that matters
Wiping the mackerel dry before broiling. Surface moisture from washing and salting turns to steam under the broiler, so the skin steams instead of browning and crisping. Drying the fish well lets the skin brown and firm up.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More broiled mackerel recipes
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.